Due to existing laws requiring children's car seats in passenger vehicles, bulky cargo such as children's strollers, and the resulting lack of space inside a vehicle, it is often difficult to change a child's diaper in vehicles. Oftentimes an adult is forced to change a child on the ground outside a vehicle, which is unsafe and where the adult and child are subjected to harsh outdoor elements, or must take the time to look for an establishment with a changing table, or must create space inside the vehicle by either removing car seats or creating space in the trunk/rear of the vehicle by temporarily removing cargo to make room for a diaper changing area.
Even if rear space is available in a vehicle, given the limited about of space, changing a child on a vehicle's seat can pose a danger since the child may roll right off. Leaning over to change a child on the seat of a vehicle also puts strain on the adult's back. Changing a child's diaper inside the vehicle on the rear seat or within a trunk or tailgate area can also be messy as doing so can soil the vehicle with excrement or diaper creams. To avoid this, an adult often needs a towel or protective cover to protect the vehicle.
Some efforts have been made to provide changing systems for passenger vehicles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,726 to Weber discloses a baby-changing pad for use in a motor vehicle. The pad secures between a front seat and a back seat of the vehicle and rests on the back seat during use. The pad disclosed in Weber provides some protection against soil or mess on the seating surface. However, use of the pad disclosed in Weber requires an open space on the rear seat of the vehicle which may not be available when child seats are installed in the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,856 to Furnback discloses a baby changing table for automobiles. The table includes a rigid frame that is hinged to lower across the back seat of the automobile. The table may be secured around a headrest of the front seat. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0150324 to Jackson et al. similarly discloses baby changing table with a rigid hinged frame that attaches to the back of an automobile seat. However, both Furnback and Jackson require rigid changing tables that are bulky and use up additional much needed space within the vehicle. Furthermore, the changing tables disclosed in Furnback and Jackson may pose safety risks by requiring a rigid and bulky structure in front of or near a child's car seat.
It is therefore desired to provide baby changing system for passenger vehicles that requires minimal space in the vehicle and that may be used even when an open seat or tailgate space is not available. It is also desired to provide a baby changing system for passenger vehicles that is readily stowable in the vehicle without posing safety risks to passengers.